Christina Rossetti

3 weeks ago | napavalleyfocus.substack.com | Tim Carl |Christina Rossetti

The ocean lay black beneath a sky streaked with smoke. No moon. Just a few stars pushing through the haze, their light dimmed by burning oil platforms on the horizon. On the ship’s bridge, radar screens glowed red. The consoles swept green — slow, steady, watching. Nobody spoke. Just the soft click of instruments. The low thrum of systems beneath our feet. Waiting. The sea looked calm, but the ship shifted in slow, uneven motions — a sway more felt than seen. Below deck the engines pulsed, low and steady.